BARCELONA, Spain -- Barcelona will be without Gerard Pique for two weeks because of a leg injury the defender picked up during Saturdays 3-1 loss at Real Sociedad. Barcelona says Pique tore a muscle in his right leg. The Spain international will miss Spanish league games against Almeria and Valladolid, but should be back for the Champions league match against Manchester City on March 12. Barcelona beat City 2-0 in the first leg. Pique has scored four goals in 33 games in all competitions for Barcelona this season. Bruce Carter Jersey . -- Albert Pujols is thrilled to have a reason to forget about his first two disappointing seasons with the Los Angeles Angels. Ricky Ortiz Jersey . -- LaMarcus Aldridge returned to the Trail Blazers lineup, happy to know that things didnt go awry without him. http://www.cheapfalconsjerseysauthentic....-hageman-jersey. Costa Rica followed up its wins over Uruguay and Italy by holding England to a dour 0-0 draw on Tuesday, enough to finish first in Group D. Justin Zimmer Jersey . Yet coming off consecutive series losses at St. Louis and Pittsburgh, Los Angeles needed some sort of spark as August approaches. The Dodgers found it in the ballpark of their biggest rival, and left the Bay Area in first place following an emphatic three-game swing. Takkarist McKinley Jersey . Coming off a 6-0 drubbing at Chelsea on Saturday, Arsenal endured another demoralizing result after rallying for a 2-1 lead -- only to concede a fluke equalizer.OAKLAND, Calif. -- Jeff Samardzija has waited for another chance to pitch in the playoffs, and he is enjoying every part of being in a pennant race again. Hes doing his part to extend Oaklands season into October, too. Samardzija tossed seven strong innings and received some rare run support, and the Athletics kept hold of the top AL wild-card spot by beating the AL West champion Los Angeles Angels 8-4 Monday night. The As moved one game ahead of Kansas City for the first wild card. "This last months been fun for me. Its a new situation for me, and something Ive been asking for for a long time," Samardzija said. "I got in this situation and I want to take advantage of it. Opportunities arent guaranteed and they dont come around too often, so you dont want to waste them." Geovany Soto hit a two-run single to highlight a six-run first inning as the As chased C.J. Wilson after just two outs for the second-shortest start of his career. Stephen Vogt added a two-run single in the seventh. Albert Pujols hit a three-run homer in the eighth for Los Angeles, giving him 1,602 RBIs for 33rd on the career list. Samardzija (5-5) beat the Angels for the first time in three career starts and won for the first time in five starts since a victory at Houston on Aug. 25. Samardzija struck out three and didnt walk a batter while working at least seven innings for the sixth straight start. "Hes been terrific, and really emotional," Oakland manager Bob Melvin said. "You get that kind of lift when you play behind him knowing hes so into it." When Samardzija has pitched this year, his teams -- the Cubs and As -- have been shut out six times and held to one run or fewer 10 times. The early run support sure helped this time. Some snazzy defence, too. Josh Donaldson stopped a sharp grounder by Chris Iannetta that flipped up off his glove, and the All-Star third baseman made a barehanded catch and threw to first to end the seventh. Samardzija walked off shaking his head in disbelief. "I think he was bored and wanted to make things interesting," Samardzija said. Los Angeles manager Mike Scioscia made it clear before the game that he wants his team to treat the remaining games with the same urgency even though the Angels clinched their first division title since 2009 last week. "I think its impoortant to play and keep your edge," he said.dddddddddddd. "Naturally, these games have bearing on all the teams." Among his four free passes, Wilson (13-10) allowed bases-loaded walks to Derek Norris and Nate Freiman in the first that put the As ahead. Soto then singled up the middle to make it 4-1. "If youre missing your spots all over the place, its a mechanical thing," Wilson said. Before Sotos single, Oakland was hitless in 18 plate appearances with the bases loaded since Sept. 9. Wilson, the first of three straight southpaws scheduled to start in this series, had his three-start winning streak snapped. His only shorter start was one-third of an inning on May 11, 2012, at Texas. "Thats a rough one for C.J.," Scioscia said. "Weve looked at C.J. from every angle possible. Hes prepared, he knows what hes trying to do, he has terrific stuff. At times it works and hes on top of the game. Sometimes the games on top of him and we saw that tonight." Oakland scored eight or more runs in consecutive games for the first time since July 23-24 against Houston. The As hold a 9-8 lead in the season series, dropping the Angels to 1-6 at the Coliseum. TRAINERS ROOM Angels: OF Josh Hamilton hit off a tee as he tries to work his way back from pain in his upper body that sidelined him for the 17th time in 18 games. ... 2B Howie Kendrick was rested as a precaution a day after he was pulled late in the game with minor tightness in his hamstring. ... RHP Matt Shoemaker, making progress in his recovery from a strained left oblique, played light catch and is still giving Scioscia enough "encouraging" signs that he could make the post-season roster. Athletics: SS Jed Lowrie, who left Sundays game after four innings with a bruised left foot, and C Derek Norris (shoulder) returned to the lineup, though Norris was the DH after requiring an injection. UP NEXT Angels: LHP Wade LeBlanc (0-1, 5.24 ERA)